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Vocal Cord Dysfunction: Current Understanding and Approach to Disease

Sandy Shamon

ABSTRACT

Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) is a serious disorder of the vocal cords and laryngeal muscles that mimics asthma and can seriously affect the patient, both physically and emotionally. Patients with this condition are often misdiagnosed and treated inappropriately due to lack of systematic knowledge concerning diagnosis and therapy. The aetiology remains a topic of research; in fact, most experts now agree that vocal cord dysfunction is a group of conditions, or that it has multiple aetiologies. This is appreciated by the extensive number of terms that have been used to describe it. Epidemiological data is also limited, but preliminary investigations suggest that its incidence is higher than initially appreciated. This review summarizes the current existing knowledge and aims to help the reader recognize and develop a management approach to vocal cord dysfunction.